The Jefferson County Agricultural
 Development Corporation
 

In 1998, the Jefferson County Agriculture and Natural Resources Workshop brought together producers, agribusiness, bankers, educators, economic developers, lawmakers, agricultural agencies and others to examine the agricultural industry.  Through the two –day session, facilitated by the Center for Community Studies at Jefferson Community College, participants developed strategies to maintain and improve the strength of agriculture.

Many good recommendations came from this workshop. Two strategies that received highest priority from the participants were the creation of an Agricultural Coordinator position and creation of a local development corporation for agriculture.

Early in 2000, the Jefferson County Legislature appointed an ad-hoc Committee to determine what needed to be done to make the position a reality. The ad-hoc committee consisted of legislators Darrel Aubertine, Jan Martusewicz and Robert Boice.  Together, they established a committee that would be charged with developing a job description for the Ag Coordinator position and begin the hiring process. Besides the Legislators, with Mr. Martusewicz as Chairperson, the following were appointed to serve on this ad-hoc committee:

• Mr. James Edmonson – Executive Director, Jefferson County Job Development Corporation
  
  

• Mr. Greg Gardner – Associate Dean for Business, Jefferson Community College
  
  

• Mr. Doug Shelmidine - dairy farmer and Chairman of the Ag and Farmland Protection Board, Jefferson County Farm Bureau Board of Directors
  
  

• Mr. Doug Murray - dairy producer, member of the Ag and Farmland Protection Board
  
  

• Mr. Robert Laisdell – agribusiness representative, Owner of G.L. Thomas and Sons Feeds, Past President of Jefferson County Farm Bureau
  
  

• Mr. Steve Harter – Vice President of HSBC Bank
  
  

• Mr. Ken Mix – Part – time Market Grower
  
  

• Mrs. Nancy Robbins – Co-owner of  Old MacDonald’s Farm
  
  

• Mr. Robert F. Hagemann, III, Jefferson County Administrator, and Mr. Bruce Armstrong, Director of Jefferson County Dept. of Planning, serve as staff advisors for the committee.
  

The Committee defined the job description for the new Agricultural Coordinator position and decided that establishing a not – for – profit local development corporation for agriculture was the best way to provide guidance to the Coordinator’s position.  The Jefferson County Board of Legislators, upon the recommendation of the adhoc committee, approved the position of Agriculture Coordinator for Jefferson County, established the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Committee, and allocated $100,000 as an operating budget for the Coordinator and Committee. The Legislature appointed the adhoc committee members to serve on the Ag Development Committee.  They were asked to serve until the Agricultural Development Corporation is legally formed.

On December 11, 2000 Jay M. Matteson, former Director for the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District, started as the Agricultural Coordinator for Jefferson County.  The Coordinator’s office is in the Black River – St. Lawrence Resource Conservation and Development Project, Inc. office in the USDA Agricultural Service Center, 21168 NYS Rte. 232, Watertown NY.  The Coordinator is administratively an employee of the Jefferson County Job Development Corporation and receives programmatic guidance from the Ag Development Committee. In 2002, Mr. Paul Warneck joined the Committee as the County Legislators Representative and Mr. Martusewicz was asked by the Committee to serve as a member –at –large .

 The mission of the Jefferson County Agricultural Development Committee is to assist in the retention, growth, and promotion of Jefferson County’s agricultural industry.